World Leaders As Tacky As You'd Imagine
The State Department released a hee-larious list of gifts that foreign leaders have brought to Bush. The presents appear to be limited to three categories:
* Clumsy "My country's the best!" souvenirs, such as the Botswana crafts poster and little clay pots (from the president of Botswana, natch) and the actual Slovak railroad sign delivered by Slovakia's prime minister.
* Gifts that either say "Sorry, my wife picked it out" or "I know you're gay," such as the $940 "orange, gold and navy blue Hermes striped wool blanket" that Chirac brought or the embroidered navy blue waffle-knit cotton polo shirt and light blue Begg Scottish cashmere scarf from Tony Blair.
* Vulgar displays of wealth and acquiescence as you'd expect from Saudi Arabia's royal family. Nothing says "Remember, we've got the oil" like an $8,000 golden statue of a horse.